Report: Jason Bay, New York Mets agree on four-year deal

File photo courtesy of The Associated PressJason Bay's physical is reportedly the last hurdle both sides must clear.
It appears that Jason Bay will officially earn the “former Red Sox outfielder” title early next week.

According to multiple reports around the Web, Bay will join the New York Mets with an announcement coming as early as Monday.

WFAN’s Mike Francesa was the first to report the story, saying that the final hurdle will come in the form of a physical.

Sports Illustrated is reporting that the last known offer from the Mets to Bay was four years and $66 million, with an option for a fifth year. If, indeed, that is the offer Bay signs, it would translate to a $6 million difference between the deal he received from New York and the one he turned down in Boston (four years, $60 million).

While the New York Post’s Joel Shermen has confirmed that the fifth-year option could take the total value of the contract to $80 million, he is cautioning Mets fans not to take Bay’s physical for granted.

“And the physical might not be a formality. There has been a lot of talk in the sport that the Red Sox were hesitant to do a long-term deal with Bay because they were concerned about the health of his shoulders.”